Flower Friday brings us these sublime peonies on the breakfast table of our friend Elizabeth’s lovely, lovely home in Rye. They greeted me as I sat for homemade biscuits with jam on Sunday morning before I headed into the city to walk the National Stationery Show. She knew I needed to be well-fed for my busy day ahead. The peonies feeding my soul all along the way, too. Thought you would all enjoy their magic…

Turning a house into a home is a process. In my mind, it takes times to create layers. Those layers are what tell the story of the life you have lived/are living in that home. Filling spaces with objects of meaning is a continuing process. Sort of like putting together a puzzle. An ongoing puzzle that gets more interesting as it is being worked on. The pieces I picked up for us in Connecticut the other week-end are things I will always look back on with the memory of that place, time and experience. They have become pieces in our Hawthorne puzzle that have many uses, as well as look swell just lounging.

Case in point, the glass battery jar. It will live for now on top of the shelf in the dining room being flanked by the marble urns also picked up that day. But the jar was called into action on the dining table when the lilacs bloomed this week in the front yard.

The big handled bucket will live on the back porch for the moment adding a sculptural element to the room. It was filled with ice and wine bottles for the birthday party we hosted the other week-end. We will end up using this for a ton of things over time.

And lastly the English watering can. We put it to good use each day to water the plants we enjoyed inside on this stay, which TPS planted yesterday. The watering can just looking cool all in its own when not in use right outside next to the picnic table. All things we will use in many ways, adding a new layer to the experience of being at Hawthorne.

My friend Elizabeth, who writes the beautiful & stylish (much like her) blog, Pretty Pink Tulips, and I have made a new tradition, that we attend the event, Trade Secrets, each May together. It really is not a secret any longer, as this is the 15+ year the Bunny Williams founded event has taken place, so many many folks know about it. Vendors from all of the East set-up booths filled with plants, antiques, and garden inspired goods on the lawn of the most lovely property in Connecticut. They host a breakfast early and then the shopping begins. I got to chat a few moments again this year with Bunny, what an incredibly gracious woman she is–she remembered our conversation from the event last year and thanked me for attending again. I found a few vintage treasures that will live at Hawthorne–a watering can from England, a big zinc bucket perfect for holding wine bottles at a party, an oblong glass vase and a pair of marble urns. I will click away this week and show you the grouping in action. It is such a cool, worthwhile benefit.
From the Trade Secrets website.
Trade Secrets is the signature fundraiser for WSS of the Northwest Corner of Connecticut. The WSS mission is to create a community free of domestic violence and abuse through intervention, prevention and education by offering free, confidential, client-centered services focused on safety, support advocacy and community outreach.

Bunny with Martha Stewart at the breakfast before the shopping began. Such a fun time! If you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods this time of year and want to attend, I would be happy to fill you in on the details.

A lovely Sunday to you all! We are busy preparing for 40 folks to start arriving soon for the 60th birthday party we are hosting for Ted’s older twin brothers. Our first big country party. I will let you know how it all turned out later this week…
TKW

Each word of the book is so lovingly spoken and your voice exudes such warmth and kindness. You are so genuine with your readers. And so interested in teaching them how to love… Love art…. Love nature… Love small things… Love friends… Love family… And love life.

— Haley from New York

Ted’s ‘Style & Simplicity’ is absolutely Lovely (with a capital L)! It’s also charming, fun to read, and full of wonderful advice.

— Newell Turner, Editor in Chief at House Beautiful

Ted Kennedy Watson has a most refined sense of aesthetics…and he shares some of his best secrets, for which I am so grateful!

— Lisa Birnbach, author of The Official Preppy Handbook

Ted, and his namesake fine good emporiums Watson Kennedy are legendary in this town. What he does brilliantly is quality over trend, substance over vapid style.

— Kaye Wellman, author Eat, Shop, Seattle

If you’ve ever wanted to walk through a stylized photo in a magazine this shop is a phenomenal fix for that as the merchandising is crazy delicious to feast your eyes upon.

— Uncle Beefy at thebedlamofbeefy.com

I feel like a kid in a candy shop every time I walk in the door.

— Apartment Therapy

I ordered ‘Style & Simplicity’ and it was delivered to my home in Hermanus, South Africa. What a delightful book and inspiration!

— Marlien on Facebook

The Seattle tastemaker behind Watson Kennedy: a personally curated store with the absolute best gifts, treasures, home goods, and hand-selected music.

— Town & Country

#genius #book @watsonkennedy #brilliant #perfect #gift

— Howard Slatkin on Instagram

Truly a visual feast for the eyes and palate.Thank you for sharing your abundance of “everything good”.We customers are transported to shopping heaven while in your store(s) and website.

— Blog reader Kris

We’ve long been fans of Seattle retailer Ted Kennedy Watson and his first title certainly lives up to it’s stylish name. The lavish A to Z guide is bursting with tips on how to create a cozy, chic and inviting home.